Vote Against ACK-NOW

WHY VOTE AGAINST THE ACK-NOW ARTICLE AT NANTUCKET TOWN MEETING ON JUNE 5th?

  • Passage of the ACK-Now citizen warrant article would not only hurt investors, but it would also be a cruel blow to property owners who must rent their homes to pay a mortgage or simply maintain it until they can retire to the island. Owning a home on Nantucket will become virtually impossible for some residents, including those with deep family roots on the island.
  • If the ACK-Now warrant article passes, local businesses, including shops, restaurants, galleries, and real estate firms will suffer and potentially face devastating financial hardship, discouraging tourism is not what the island’s economy needs as it begins to recover from a pandemic.
  • The Town of Nantucket could lose a significant amount of its share of funding generated by the state’s short-term rental tax.  In effect, money would be taken away from schools, infrastructure, and other vital town projects. 
  • Local workers, including landscapers, caretakers, realtors, and those in the tourism, construction and hospitality/restaurant industries could be greatly affected by the economic impact, potentially losing their jobs and livelihoods.
  • The ACK-Now citizen warrant article, if passed, could exacerbate the island’s affordable housing crisis by creating more of a luxury market – tenants will rent for a month or more, and investors may purchase additional properties to generate additional revenue via acquiring more rental days.

WHAT IS ACK-NOW?

ACK-Now was founded and is led by primarily wealthy off-island property owners deploying a group of local activists in an attempt to influence the outcome of the Nantucket Town Meeting, at which they cannot vote.

The organization is advocating for severe short-term rental restrictions on Nantucket property owners, under the guise of protecting affordable housing stock. The ACK-Now citizen warrant article proposes to reduce the short-term rental days to 45 days for non-resident homeowners and 90 days for homeowners who are full-time residents of Nantucket. There will also be a seven-day minimum stay for guests, with a limit of two people per bedroom, and one car per household, regardless of the property size.

How YOU Can Help

  1. Vote against the ACK-NOW citizen warrant article on June 5th at Town Meeting
  2. Join our Facebook page and share it
  3. Talk to friends, business owners, and anyone who could be adversely affected by the passage of the article.
  4. Hang a sign in the window of your business supporting the Alliance (ask us for one!)
  5. Email the town and community leaders to share your concerns.
  6. Write an Op-Ed piece for submission to and publication in local media outlets.
  7. Did we mention VOTE???